Dark Scepter
The Dark Scepter was an ancient Aetherian weapon featured in the "Eternal Despair" saga of the Roach Chronicles. The scepter served as the primary catalyst in Nictis' plan to transform the universe into a new realm to replace the Cursed Realm, seeking out the scepter from its resting place on Earth in order to accomplish his mission. History At some point in time, the Dark Scepter was forged within the Aether. Using the Dark Scepter, the Aetherians were able to use the Dark Scepter to create and shape various realms of existence. Following the Cursed Realm's creation, the Aetherians realized that the Dark Scepter could not remain in the Aether, knowing that if it remained, it could easily fall into the wrong hands. The Aetherians decide to hide the Dark Scepter on Earth, sealing it away within a chamber in the depths of Castle Solitude on the island of Røvær, Norway. To ensure that whoever desires the Dark Scepter understands the real price of power, a forcefield was placed around the Dark Scepter, which could only be broken if the seeker of the scepter sacrificed the thing they loved the most within the chamber. A massive stone guardian was also created in order to protect the entrance to the Dark Scepter's chamber as well. The Greatest Threat of All During the midst of the night following the defeat of Ataraxia and the destruction of the Infinity Gauntlet, Higgins has a horrible nightmare. In the nightmare is a vision of a dark being obtaining the Dark Scepter and transforming the Earth into a dark and twisted dimension. As a mysterious mask flashes in a bright beam of light, Higgins jerks up from bed, saying to himself that he must prepare for the inevitable. Eternal Despair Following the destruction of the Cursed Realm, Nictis, the former ruler of the realm, sought out to secure the Dark Scepter, seeking to use its powers to transform the entire universe into a new realm under his rule in order to protect the universe from itself. As part of his plan, Nictis would first acquire the Mask of Nictis, which was being transported to a private research facility via train. Nictis would learn from four survivors of the 501st Corporation train derailment of Higgins' research on the Dark Scepter's location. Using this knowledge, Nictis began to create a large undead army with the Mask of Nictis in order to help him in his quest to obtain the Dark Scepter. During his travels however, he would encounter his biological daughter Samantha. Nictis would ultimately take Samantha from the four heroes during their escape of a US aircraft carrier bound for the United Kingdom, bringing her to Castle Solitude in Norway, the resting place of the Dark Scepter. After entering the castle and gaining access to the catacombs, Nictis locates the entrance to the Dark Scepter's chamber. The duo soon discovers the Dark Scepter, but is unable to remove it from its place. Nictis uses his powers to reveal an ancient text hidden on the walls of the chamber, where he learns that if he wishes to obtain the Dark Scepter, he must sacrifice the thing he loves the most. Heartbroken, Nictis remorsefully kills Samantha, despite her objections, and is able to obtain the Dark Scepter. As the four heroes rush in following their battle against the Guardian Titan, they see what has become of Samantha. As Daniela asks what kind of father Nictis was, Nictis replies that he was the remorseful kind before using the leftover energy still within the Dark Scepter to teleport away. Nictis soon appears as the city of Virginia City in Nevada. As the scepter begins to glow blue, Nictis realizes that the scepter has brought him to a place sufficient enough to rejuvenate the Dark Scepter's energies. Learning that the city contains a large deposit of Element 115 beneath the city, Nictis begins to formulate a plan to utilize the Element 115 deposit to fuel the Dark Scepter with enough energy to tear open a rift to the Aether, where the Dark Scepter would be able to siphon off enough dark energy to allow Nictis to transform the universe into the Accursed Realm. Three days later, the four heroes utilize a Royal Air Force aircraft to return to the United States, where they see the destruction caused by Nictis. Using one of his devices, Higgins discovers that there has been a recent surge in unusual energy coming from an old mining town in Nevada. The four soon realize that Nictis has begun to process of restoring the Dark Scepter's energies. Arriving a few hours later, the team discovers that the city is in ruin; a massive stone fortress floats overhead, where an X-shaped rift is formed in the skies above. As energy shoots out from the top of the fortress into the rift above, the skies continue to darken. Daniela realizes that Nictis is siphoning off energy from the Dark Scepter's homeworld in the Aether, which is stabilizing the creation of the Accursed Realm. The heroes soon fight off Nictis' undead army, battling throughout the city as the siphoning process continues above. Knowing they must sever the Dark Scepter's link to the Aether, the four devise a plan to bring down the fortress using a custom grappling system. The four are successful in this and are able to pull the fortress into the ground, causing it to crash at a small park near the town square. Knowing that the final battle is upon them, the heroes prepare themselves for a brutal struggle. Entering the fortress, the heroes discover Nictis in the fortress' throne room, where the Dark Scepter was nearing completion in the siphoning process. Nictis reveals that bringing down the fortress didn't sever the link, but ultimately brought Nictis to the heroes. Seizing the Dark Scepter, Nictis tells the heroes that if he wants something done right, he has to do it himself, saying that he will not allow Samantha's death to be in vain before engaging the heroes in a final battle. The heroes desperately try to defeat Nictis, but their efforts prove to be futile due to his ever-growing power with the Dark Scepter. After knocking down the heroes with energy blasts from the Dark Scepter, Nictis tells the four that they are the true villains, explaining that with the Dark Scepter, he would be able to save the universe from itself and transform it into a realm under both his rule and protection. As the Dark Scepter finishes powering up, Nictis tells the heroes that it is time. With the Dark Scepter, Nictis blasts a powerful beam of energy into the skies above. As the heroes scream in horror, the rift in the sky opens even further, releasing the energy once contained in the Cursed Realm upon the whole universe. As the universe soon succumbs to this and transforms, Nictis laughs, welcoming the heroes to their new home: the Accursed Realm, telling them that they would spend the rest of eternity as its prisoners along with everyone else in the universe. Nictis then offers the heroes a chance to flee, telling them they have ten seconds to get out of his fortress, or else he would blast them with the Mask of Nictis and transform them into zombies. As the four flee the fortress and soon the city, Nictis heads to the fortresses' balcony, where he looks upon his new growing empire across the entire universe. Category:The Greatest Threat of All Category:Eternal Despair Category:Rebellion of Realms Category:Universal Convergence